Name: Key Lime Pie Cheesecake
Cook time: 90 min
Yield: 1 8-inch cheesecake
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 140g Graham crackers; 60g Butter (room temperature); 452g Cream cheese; 100g Sugar; 2g Kosher salt; 5g Vanilla extract; 130g Heavy cream; 3 eggs; 60g Key lime juice; 8g Lime zest; 150g Whipped cream; 3g Lime zest

Description

A tangy, tropical cheesecake that captures the bright, distinctive flavor of key lime pie. The key lime juice gives it a sharper, more floral acidity than regular limes, and a cloud of sweetened whipped cream on top balances it all out.

Special Instructions

Key lime juice is more acidic and aromatic than regular lime juice. If using fresh key limes, you will need quite a few since they are small. Bottled key lime juice (such as Nellie & Joe’s) is a perfectly good substitute. Add the juice and zest of 3 limes to the filling at the end. Top with freshly whipped cream just before serving so it stays fluffy, and sprinkle the zest of one additional lime on top. Consider using slightly less juice and citric acid if the flavor is too intense.

Recipe

Pan size:

Number of cakes:

1

Makes 1 × 8″ cheesecake

Topping

Ingredient	Amount	Notes
Whipped cream	150g	Sweetened with 15g powdered sugar
Lime zest	3g	Zest of 1 additional lime, sprinkled on top

Filling

Ingredient	Amount	Notes
Cream cheese	452g	2 × 8 oz bricks (Philadelphia)
Sugar	100g
Kosher salt	2g
Vanilla extract	5g
Heavy cream	130g
Eggs	3 eggs
Key lime juice	60g	Bottled key lime juice works well
Lime zest	8g	About 3 limes

Crust

Ingredient	Amount	Notes
Graham crackers	140g	1 bag of Honeymoon graham crackers (~140g)
Butter (room temperature)	60g

Instructions

Make the filling: Let the cream cheese and eggs come to room temperature, then beat the cream cheese and cream until smooth. Mix in sugar, salt, vanilla extract. Add eggs last, mixing just until combined so you don't work extra air into the mixture that will get stuck in the sous vide bag.
Make the crust: Let the butter come to room temperature. Break up graham crackers a bit, then add them with the butter to a food processor and process until fully integrated. Press firmly and evenly into the bottom of your pan — make sure it's well packed with no gaps, or the filling will leak through when you pour it.
Cook: Sous vide at 176°F for 90 minutes. Every 30ish minutes, massage the bag to stir the filling (or stir directly if using an open container). Pay attention to the edges and make sure stirring is complete.
Set: Pour into the mold, then add any solid toppings right away or let the cheesecake cool in the fridge for several hours before adding a gell topping. Ideally, make the cheesecake at least a day before serving so it can set properly.